After security person abandoned dog he was holding to ransom, Andheri woman rescued crying pet from Vile Parle station
Prixcy’s rescuer, Shruti Prakash Patel, with the Pomeranian
Prixcy, the pet dog kidnapped and later abandoned near Vile Parle railway station following a ransom conflict, has been reunited with his family in Juhu after he was found in Andheri, 15 days after going missing. Shruti Prakash Patel, a 23-year-old banking and finance professional from Andheri East, spotted Prixcy in distress near Andheri railway station. She took him to a hospital for treatment and arranged temporary shelter with optometrist Sandeep Bhosale, who lives in Ashok Nagar Society on Marol Military Road, Andheri East. Bhosale cared for the dog and temporarily named him “Shanky.”
Prixcy has since returned to the Joshi family at Rustomjee Ciroc Tower in Juhu. The household includes Aditi Joshi, her parents Manav and Ritu, and her brother Adityavikram. On April 15, a security supervisor named Rajendra Pandharkar kidnapped Prixcy, a male Pomeranian, after allegedly receiving R4000 less in salary from his contractor. In retaliation, Pandharkar demanded R25,000 as ransom, then removed the dog’s collar and ID tag before abandoning him near Vile Parle West railway station. CCTV footage in the area captured the entire incident. Prixcy eventually wandered off and ended up outside Andheri West railway station.
Aditi Joshi with the 14-year-old Pomeranian dog Prixcy. Pic/Shadab Khan
Patel, who was near the spot with her cousin, noticed the distressed dog. “I saw this Pomeranian crying on the roadside. I moved him to a safer spot and waited for 45 minutes, hoping the owner would arrive,” she told mid-day. During that time, optometrist Bhosale approached her and expressed interest in taking the dog home the next day.
Patel took Prixcy to her house and informed the NGO Animals Matter to Me (AMTM), which assisted with his treatment. “He wasn’t eating and appeared to be in trauma,” she said. On April 16, she handed him over to Bhosale. At the Bhosale residence in Ashok Nagar Society, Andheri East, the dog was renamed “Shanky.” The family—Sandeep, his wife Deepashri, mother Smita, and sons Lakshdeep, 25 and Khush, 17—grew attached to him over the next 15 days.
“On the first day, he only drank water and didn’t eat anything. But from the second day, he started bonding with us,” said Sandeep. “We even gave him a bed because he refused to sleep on the floor.” Meanwhile, the Joshi family, dog owner Aditi Joshi, and her parents Ritu and Manav, along with her brother Adityavikram, had filed an FIR immediately after the abduction. They searched extensively, including at railway stations. On April 29, they approached Senior Inspector Sudhir Kudalkar, who also runs the Pal Foundation NGO. Kudalkar posted photos of Prixcy on his Instagram group, where Patel recognised the dog and responded.
Patel shared images and confirmed she had handed the dog over to a family in Andheri. The Joshis quickly identified Prixcy and visited the Bhosale residence in Marol. “Initially, they were hesitant, but after we explained everything, they handed him over. We’re grateful to Shruti, the Bhosales, and Inspector Kudalkar,” said Ritu Joshi.
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